SET Case No. 001-98, Pagdanganan vs. Aquino-Oreta

Election Protest: The Election Protest was filed on 15 June 1998 by Protestant Roberto M. Pagdanganan, who placed 13th in the 11 May 1998 senatorial elections against Teresa Aquino-Oreta, who ranked 12th.

Protestant Pagdanganan claimed that the authentic will of the people as to who should sit as senator of the Republic for a term of six years beginning 20 June 1998 was negated by a demonic operation called “Operation Dagdag-Lipat Bawas” (Operation Plus-Transfer Minus).

Initial revision of the ballots pertaining to the pilot areas of Protestant Pagdanganan ensued. Acceding, however, to the urgent request of the COMELEC through its Chairperson, for Protestant Pagdanganan to withdraw his protest so that the ballot boxes could be used in the then forthcoming elections, Protestant Pagdanganan filed an “Urgent Motion to Withdraw Protest.”

Status: The case was dismissed in Tribunal Resolution No. 01-12 promulgated on 02 May 2001, upon Protestant Pagdanganan’s “Urgent Motion to Withdraw Protest.”